Hard Talk – Healthcare cost burden

By Nasik Swami: Payroll tax on GPs, increasing costs for GP visits, and a complicated Medicare scheme—is our health system failing our communities and the most vulnerable? Are the increasing healthcare costs becoming a deterrent for people in our district to visit a GP/doctor and seek treatment when our public hospitals are already overcrowded? Who should be held accountable for the burden of the extra healthcare costs people in country towns are facing? The Royal Australian College of GPs and the Australian Medical Association have warned the payroll tax would force clinics to pass on the cost to patients, end bulk billing, or shut down completely. In this edition of Hard Talk, The News digs deep into the much talked about GP payroll tax, the increasing cost of seeing a GP in country towns like Naracoorte, and a review of our Medicare system. We asked the SA Health Minister Chris […]

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

Subscribe to continue reading

If you want to continue reading this and more articles, subscribe to The News

We look forward
to hearing from you!

Contact us to share your stories with our community.

A little boy with a big heart

For four years, seven-year-old Kruze Cook has been growing his beloved mullet.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

Fuel pain hits us

From the family car to the farm paddock, soaring fuel prices are burning a hole in pockets across the Naracoorte-Lucindale district, with diesel nearing $3 a litre and motorists, farmers, and businesses feeling the financial squeeze.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

Local scenes to feature at Naracoorte gallery

A locally themed art exhibition called ‘My Place Mini-Scapes’ will complete the year at the Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

New fund to secure Robe Institute’s future

A new partnership between Stand Like Stone Foundation, the Friends of the Robe Institute, and the District Council of Robe will provide a long-term pathway for community investment in one of Robe’s most significant heritage buildings.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

Calls for greater investment in rural Victoria

The West Wimmera Shire Council is joining a statewide campaign calling for greater investment in rural communities ahead of the November Victorian election.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.

Beachport crew claims Coonawarra golf crown

Penola Golf Course played host to the ninth annual Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations Golf Day on October 2, ahead of the October long weekend.

To access this post, you must purchase MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION, THE LAST ISSUE or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION.